Field Scenario

A customer requests hearth extension dimensions matching what they remember from a masonry fireplace in a previous home, for a new factory-built wood-burning unit being installed in their current house.

What You Actually Do

You check this specific factory-built unit’s manufacturer-specified hearth extension requirement rather than applying the customer’s remembered masonry figure — factory-built and masonry hearth requirements can differ, and the correct figure is whatever this specific unit’s listing actually specifies, not a generalized number from a different fireplace type.

Why This Matters

This mirrors the mantel-clearance mismatch scenario covered from a sales perspective elsewhere in this academy — assuming figures transfer directly between masonry and factory-built systems is a recurring, avoidable error in this trade.

What a Strong Response Includes

• Checking the actual specific unit’s requirement rather than applying a remembered figure from a different fireplace type.
• Explaining clearly why masonry and factory-built figures aren’t interchangeable.
• Building to the correct, confirmed dimension regardless of the customer’s expectation.